Notre-Dame bells ring again in Paris after five years of silence

Notre-dame project became a national priority, mobilizing roughly 250 companies and hundreds of specialists

For the first time in more than five years, the bells of Notre-Dame Cathedral rang out over Paris on Friday morning, rekindling a familiar sound that Parisians lost in the aftermath of a devastating 2019 fire.

At precisely 10:30 a.m. local time (09:30 GMT), the bells began to chime one by one, filling the air before all eight joined in a harmonious chorus for a five-minute tribute.

“It’s not perfect yet, but we will make it perfect,” said Alexandre Gougeon, the lead engineer behind the bells’ reinstallation. His team had meticulously sound-checked each bell the day prior, preparing for this poignant moment—a milestone in the restoration of the iconic 861-year-old Gothic landmark.

Notre-Dame, a UNESCO World Heritage site, captivated the world’s imagination through Victor Hugo’s classic novel *The Hunchback of Notre-Dame*. Tragically, in April 2019, a massive blaze erupted, gutting large sections of the roof and collapsing the famed spire. In response, President Emmanuel Macron pledged to restore the cathedral within five years, vowing to make it “even more beautiful” than before.

The restoration project became a national priority, mobilizing roughly 250 companies and hundreds of specialists. The northern belfry was heavily damaged by the fire, necessitating a thorough restoration process. Each of the eight bells was removed, cleaned, and refurbished before being carefully returned to its historic perch.

Among these bells, the heaviest, named Gabriel, tips the scales at over four tonnes, while the lightest, Jean-Marie, weighs around 800 kg (1,765 lbs). For those who heard the chimes echo through the city, the moment was profoundly emotional. “It’s November 8, and Notre Dame is telling us: ‘I’m here, waiting for you,’” said Guillaume Normand, the cathedral’s vice rector, describing the bells’ peal as a “signal of joy.”

he sounds herald an upcoming celebration of Notre-Dame’s reopening, with a series of events planned for December 7 and 8, allowing Parisians and the world to once again step inside the heart of this beloved monument.